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F. A. GODLEY.

ENVELOP.

APPLICATION man MN. a. |916.

1 ,306,224.` Patented June 10, 1919.

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A TTORNE Y.

FRANK A. GODLEY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENvnLor. p

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Applicashun mea January s, 191e. serial No. 69,782.

To all 'whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. GODLEY, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented a cer- 'tain new and usefulImproved Envelop, of which the following is a s ecification. Theprincipal object o the present invention may be said to reside in theproviding of an envelop which may be readily and expeditiously openedwithout mutilatmg the contents thereof. A further object .of the presentinvention resides in the provlding of an envelop of this character whichmay be manufactured at a cost not exceeding the cost of manufacturingordmary envelops. A still further object of the present ln-ventionresides in the providin of an envelop of the above character w ich ma beopened readily and more completely wit out the employment of apaper-cutter or other device. With these and other objects in view, theinvention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finallyclaimed.

The nature, characteristic features and sco e of the invention will bemore fully un erstood from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompan ing drawings forming part hereof an 1n which Figure 1,is a face view of a blank as formed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 2, is a view in rear elevation of an envelop as manufactured fromthe blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a. similar view, illustrating the envelop in sealed position.

Fig.'4, is a similar view of the envelop as opened after having beensealed.

Fig. 5, is a similar view, illustrating a sli htly modified type ofconstruction, and

ig. 6, is a similar view of the same after having been sealed andopened.

Referring to the drawlngs and more articularly to Fig. 1, the envelopbla is shown as embracing a one-piece member `made.u' of a front piece11, flaps 12, 13 and 14, to orm an envelop back, and a sealingffopensxthefen'velop, precluding the possiflap 15, these 'lparts serving tomake up an envelop 16.' he fla s 12, and 13 are each provided with asmal slit 17 referably disposed upon a curved line.Y e slits extendinwardly from the marginal edge 18, of each `fia 12 and 13, so that openends 19 are provi ed, the urpose of which will presently appear. T esesame flaps are further provlded with weakened parts, which for illustrative purposes may be lines of perforat1on 20. These lines ofperforations extend from a slit 17, inwardly at an inclination to apointadjacent the top of each flap. More properly speaking, eachweakened line extends to that portion of -the envelo where said flaptops join the front 11. he rear flap 14, is cut away as at 21, for apurpose to presently appear. It may be here remarked that an envelopblank of the above described construction may be manufactured at a costnot exceeding the cost of manufacturing an ordinary envelop, since allof said parts may be stamped out of a single blank in one operation.Thus sha ed, the blank is folded into envelop form. he iaps 12 and 13are folded inwardly as shown so that the parts having the slits 17therein overlap. In this position, the slits 17 ,l are in register. TheHap 14, is next folded over said flaps 12 and 13, and adhesively securedthereto. In this connection, it may be stated that the segment 21, ofsaid flap in this position is in register with the hereinbeforedescribed slits. The envelop is now ready for use. In use, the envelopwith its contents is sealed in the usual manner, see Fig. 3. However, asclearly shown in said figure, the outwardly curved tip 22, of thesealing flap and the segment 21, of the flap 14, coperate, together withthe opening formed in the aps 12 and 13, to provide a finger orthumb-nail accommodating slit or o ening 23. It may be here remarkedthat 1n this position there are no protruding parts, the same beingflat, so that the envelop may be readily passed through a cancelingmachine. The recipient of the envelop by inserting a finger or thumb-tipwithin the opening or slitted portion 23 pulls back the sealing flap byseparating the same along the weakened lines 20, so that it assumes theposition disclosed in Fi 4, with a portion of each tab 12 and 13 a eringto thesealing flap. Such method completely bility of mutilation of theenvelop contents and further requires no implements for opening thesame. In business places where a large quantity of mail is handled,these points are important. A person opening large quantities of mail,may, with a' little practice, become so adept that the time consumedinopening the mail is materially reduced, the advantage of which will beappreciated.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the same neral Vconstruction is disclosed with thisexception that the aps 12, 13 and 14 overlap at 24, thus necessitatingthe employment of a slit 25, thereacross to permit tearing apart andthat but a single finger-nail accommodating slit or opening 26, isnecessary, which slit is formed in the fiap 14.

I have also in mind the providing of either of the above constructionsin a mailing wrapper for second class mail matter.

What I claim is:

l; An envelop, the back of which is made up of side aps and a bottomflap extended from the envelop face and adhesively sealed over at leasta portion of said side lia s, that portion of envelop back as formed ysaid side flaps having cut therein substantially centrally thereof aslit for finger or thumb tip accommodation and weakened portions forsaid side flaps extending outwardly from the slit to or near the extremej'uncture points of the side flaps with the .face of the envelop, saidweakened portions and slit being disposed so that when the upper andlower a'ps are in sealed position, the

marginal edge of at least one of the last l mentioned aps `is insubstantial register with the 11ne ormed by said slit and weak- `endportions.

2. An envelop embracing a face and back portion and a complementalsealing flap for said back, of which the. back has formedy -sitionsubstantially registers with the l1neV formed by said slit and weakenedportions.'

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo witnesses. 1, 1

FRANK A. GODLEY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. JACKSON, ROBERT M. BARR.

